MUFG Securities EMEA plc Has $6.38 Million Stock Holdings in Citizens Financial Group, Inc. $CFG

Key Points

• MUFG Securities EMEA plc sharply increased its stake in Citizens Financial Group, boosting holdings by 1,222.8% in the fourth quarter to 109,207 shares valued at about $6.38 million.
• Citizens Financial Group reported strong quarterly results, posting EPS of $1.13 versus the $1.10 estimate and revenue of $2.17 billion, while revenue rose 12% year over year.
• The bank continues to draw a generally bullish analyst outlook, with 19 Buy ratings and a consensus Moderate Buy rating; the average price target is $70.88.

MUFG Securities EMEA plc lifted its holdings in Citizens Financial Group, Inc. (NYSE:CFG - Free Report) by 1,222.8% in the 4th quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the SEC. The firm owned 109,207 shares of the bank's stock after purchasing an additional 100,951 shares during the quarter. MUFG Securities EMEA plc's holdings in Citizens Financial Group were worth $6,379,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Several other institutional investors and hedge funds have also modified their holdings of CFG. Activest Wealth Management grew its position in shares of Citizens Financial Group by 5,600.0% in the 4th quarter. Activest Wealth Management now owns 513 shares of the bank's stock valued at $30,000 after purchasing an additional 504 shares during the period. State of Wyoming acquired a new position in shares of Citizens Financial Group in the 2nd quarter valued at approximately $39,000. Fortitude Family Office LLC grew its position in shares of Citizens Financial Group by 632.0% in the 4th quarter. Fortitude Family Office LLC now owns 710 shares of the bank's stock valued at $41,000 after purchasing an additional 613 shares during the period. Kestra Investment Management LLC grew its position in shares of Citizens Financial Group by 2,703.0% in the 2nd quarter. Kestra Investment Management LLC now owns 925 shares of the bank's stock valued at $41,000 after purchasing an additional 892 shares during the period. Finally, Elyxium Wealth LLC acquired a new position in shares of Citizens Financial Group in the 4th quarter valued at approximately $50,000. 94.90% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Insider Buying and Selling

In related news, insider Michelle Moosally sold 6,050 shares of the stock in a transaction on Tuesday, May 12th. The stock was sold at an average price of $62.16, for a total value of $376,068.00. Following the sale, the insider owned 22,565 shares in the company, valued at approximately $1,402,640.40. This represents a 21.14% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through the SEC website. Also, insider Susan Lamonica sold 13,258 shares of the stock in a transaction on Wednesday, March 11th. The shares were sold at an average price of $58.04, for a total value of $769,494.32. Following the completion of the sale, the insider owned 165,971 shares in the company, valued at approximately $9,632,956.84. This trade represents a 7.40% decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. Corporate insiders own 0.67% of the company's stock.

Citizens Financial Group Trading Down 0.1%

Shares of Citizens Financial Group stock opened at $62.17 on Monday. Citizens Financial Group, Inc. has a 12-month low of $39.40 and a 12-month high of $68.79. The stock has a market cap of $26.29 billion, a P/E ratio of 14.70, a P/E/G ratio of 0.49 and a beta of 0.68. The company has a quick ratio of 0.84, a current ratio of 0.85 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.51. The business's 50 day moving average is $62.39 and its 200-day moving average is $60.50.

Citizens Financial Group (NYSE:CFG - Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, April 16th. The bank reported $1.13 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping analysts' consensus estimates of $1.10 by $0.03. Citizens Financial Group had a return on equity of 8.31% and a net margin of 16.21%.The company had revenue of $2.17 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $2.16 billion. During the same quarter in the prior year, the business posted $0.77 EPS. The business's revenue was up 12.0% compared to the same quarter last year. Equities research analysts predict that Citizens Financial Group, Inc. will post 5.2 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Citizens Financial Group Announces Dividend

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Thursday, May 14th. Stockholders of record on Thursday, April 30th were paid a dividend of $0.46 per share. The ex-dividend date was Thursday, April 30th. This represents a $1.84 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 3.0%. Citizens Financial Group's dividend payout ratio is currently 43.50%.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several equities analysts recently issued reports on CFG shares. Cantor Fitzgerald reiterated an "overweight" rating and issued a $75.00 price objective on shares of Citizens Financial Group in a research report on Tuesday, March 3rd. Robert W. Baird upgraded Citizens Financial Group from a "neutral" rating to an "outperform" rating and set a $65.00 price objective for the company in a research report on Monday, March 9th. Morgan Stanley cut their target price on Citizens Financial Group from $80.00 to $73.00 and set an "overweight" rating on the stock in a research note on Tuesday, March 31st. Royal Bank Of Canada boosted their target price on Citizens Financial Group from $67.00 to $70.00 and gave the company an "outperform" rating in a research note on Friday, April 17th. Finally, Citigroup restated a "buy" rating on shares of Citizens Financial Group in a research note on Friday, May 8th. Nineteen analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and one has issued a Hold rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, Citizens Financial Group has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus target price of $70.88.

About Citizens Financial Group

Citizens Financial Group, Inc NYSE: CFG is a bank holding company that provides a broad range of banking and financial services to individuals, small and middle-market businesses, corporations and institutional clients. Headquartered in Providence, Rhode Island, Citizens conducts its banking operations principally through its primary banking subsidiary, Citizens Bank, and serves customers through a combination of branch locations, ATMs and digital channels. The company is publicly traded and operates under the regulatory framework applicable to U.S.

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